Save Christmas. Festive cartoons do not happen a lot, because without them it is impossible to imagine either New Year or Christmas. Sitting in front of the TV in the harsh winter season, children and adults forget about all the problems in order to briefly immerse themselves in the magical animated world, literally filled to capacity with all kinds of miracles. New Year and Christmas cartoons have been filmed for decades in completely different countries, regardless of politics and ideology, and, of course, the studio of the notorious Walt Disney can’t stay away from holiday animation. Many classic cartoons from Disney are fraught with wonderful Christmas motifs, charmingly wrapping the main plot in enthusiastic red and white tones. But Christmas and New Year deserve something more than an episode in colorful cartoons. And in 2009, through the efforts of Kevin Dieters and Stevie Vermers saw the light of the first short issue of the nascent holiday franchise, telling about the adventures of the two elves in the person of Wayne and Lenny on the eve of the most magical night of the year. The animation “Preparation and Beginning” in many ways ahead of the expensive Sarah Smith film “Santa Claus Christmas Service” and showed how to prepare and breed gifts around the world in the volume of two billion unique copies. Bright, a little naive, but incredibly positive craftsmanship from Dieters and Vermers so attracted the audience and producers of Disney that the release of the sequel was a completely resolved issue. And the natural success of the no less amusing sequel allowed the creators to finish the Trilogy on a sublime note, entitled “Santa’s Secret Service: Shaloons vs. Painek.”
So, the plot of the third part of the adventures of an inseparable pair of elves again takes us to the cold polar edges, where there is a magical settlement closed from the eyes of man, preparing to celebrate another Christmas in a crazy working environment. Wayne has never managed to spend Christmas Eve in a warm, peaceful atmosphere in his home in front of the fireplace, since some strange incidents happen every now and then in the production. But this is not at all surprising, because there are actually not so many elves, and there are an incredible number of gifts waiting for the addressee. From year to year, the faithful assistants of Santa Claus do the impossible, supporting the true faith of humanity on Christmas, and Wayne himself enters into his notebook another cheerful tick, symbolizing the success of the holiday for which he lives. The only trouble is that this time our hero is faced with an incredible problem that threatens to disrupt absolutely all the preparations and trip of Santa Claus himself! It turns out that in the center of the North Pole, a villain dug in, stole lists of children with notes about their behavior for the year. And without it, a good magician will not be able to give gifts to those who deserve it. The only hope is for Wayne and his loyal assistant Lanny. The two little elves are all that can save Christmas. And they cannot make a mistake in their investigation, because it will be impossible to correct it.
Cartoon Kevin Dieters and Stevie Vermers expands already known to us in previous parts of the mythology of the magical Arctic, continuing to saturate it with amazing nuances and an excellent sense of humor. The main characters of the story remain unchanged, they continue to please the viewer with comic arguments, and at the same time do not forget to remind the viewer that very soon Christmas will come, which destroys the darkness and makes you forget about all adversity. The eternal hard worker Wayne, despite the fact that he is really tired and wants to rest, still does not give up, because the sense of responsibility has not been canceled. Through his example, we learn to fight, move forward and take firm actions without compromise, when it is really necessary. At the same time, Wayne can not be called a callous servant, unable to maintain warm friendly relations. On the contrary, its character is deep, thoughtful and multifaceted. And it does not matter that it is served according to the gold template of unassuming cartoons from Disney. The creators invested in the story not only talent, but also a piece of their own soul, thanks to which “Santa’s Secret Service: Shaloon vs Painek” looks soulful, cheerful and fun. In addition, the cartoon received a very prestigious creative award “Emmy” for “Outstanding individual achievement in animation”. And this in itself tells us that “Shaloons against Paineks” deserve attention.
For the most part, the humor in the cartoon is responsible for the partner of pathologically responsible Wayne, the merry Lenny, who does not miss a single opportunity to let go of any joke or get into another trouble. Of course, jokes and amusing collisions filed by Kevin Dieters and Stevie Vermers will be more interesting to children's audience than adults because of their simplicity, but cartoons such as "Santa's Secret Service: Shaloons vs. Painek" do not claim to be of particular semantic depth, since their most important purpose is to entertain viewers on the eve of the New Year and Christmas. From the cartoon lasting a few minutes is not required to be too dramatic, its philosophy should be understandable to everyone and not overload thinking. At least on holidays, people deserve to relax and laugh without thinking about anything sad. And just “Santa’s Secret Service: Shaloons vs. Painek” gives them this unique opportunity to relax.
Not let us down and animation, decorated the wonderful world of the Arctic in bright, rich colors. But here you need to make a small warning, since the animated film by Kevin Dieters and Stevie Summers does not have a huge production budget and the capacity of Disney’s full-length works, from which you should not expect special detail from “Shaloons and Paineks”. The adventures of Wayne and Lenny are popular because they recreate the unique spirit of Christmas adventure, seasoned with fervent chases, simple jokes and an ever-relevant message that melts the heart ice. “Secret Service of Santa: Shaloons vs. Painek” in terms of entertainment is seriously inferior to more diligent and expensive cartoons, but a competent viewer knows what to pay attention to in the first place and what shortcomings to overlook. In the case of “Chaloons and goodies” it is necessary to feel the Christmas spirit, and the graphics of the highest category can be found in other cartoons.
In conclusion, I want to say that “Santa’s Secret Service: Shaloons vs. Painek” is a charming, unassuming entertainment that raises the festive mood to high marks. Charming cartoon with a nice message reminds viewers that New Year and Christmas, it is not just a weekend, but an opportunity to get closer to family, friends and even strangers, because sometimes we need warmth. And when, if not during the winter festive period, it is kindled and supported. That is why I wish you the most pleasant view!
7 out of 10